Synonyms for hesitation
Most common
hesitancy vacillation reluctance hesitance doubt scruple trepidation delay
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Hesitancy
hesitancy, vacillation, reluctance, hesitance, indecision, reticence, disinclination, suspense, indisposition, backwardness
2. Doubt — doubt; vacillation
doubt, scruple, faltering, pause, waver, stammering, falter, shilly-shally informal
3. Trepidation
4. Delay
delay, hold-up, cunctation dated
Definitions
- n. 1
Doubt; vacillation.
She carried out the order without hesitation.
- n. 2
An act of hesitating
- n. 3
A faltering in speech; stammering.
Related words
- Word family
- hesitate
- Phrases
- hesitation wound hesitation mark hesitation marker
Forms
- Plural
- hesitations → hesitancies, vacillations, reluctances, hesitances…
Example sentences
- reluctance He feels no reluctance in acknowledging errors.
- doubt There's a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt.
- scruple No scruple held him back from making this attempt.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| hesitation | rising | |
| reluctance | steady | |
| hesitancy | steady | |
| hesitance | rising | |
| vacillation | falling | |
| doubt | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- doubt1, delay2, pause1, waver2
- 6 letters
- falter2
- 7 letters
- scruple2
- 8 letters
- suspense2
- 9 letters
- faltering3, reticence3, hesitancy4, hesitance
- 10 letters
- reluctance3, indecision4, stammering, diffidence, cunctation
- 11 letters
- uncertainty4, trepidation4, vacillation4
- 12 letters
- backwardness3, irresolution
- 13 letters
- indisposition
- 14 letters
- disinclination5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (delay2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- hésitation
- Italiano
- esitazione
- Español
- vacilación